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Notes for ANDREW BRADFORD:
Andrew Bradford, pioneer printer and magazine publisher, When Andrew was seven yrs of age he moved with his parents to New York City where his father was appointed Printer to the Crown. He learned his fathers trade and left New York City in 1712 and went to Philadelphia where in 1714 he issued from his own press "The laws of the Province". He became an importer of books published in England. He exerted such influence on the population of Penn by his books and printing.
On Dec 22 1719 be began the American Weekly Mercury, the first newspaper in Penn. and the third in the U.S. In 1721 he was bold enough to express the hope that General assembly might find"some effectual remedy to revive the dying credit of this province:"(Weekly Mercury man 2 1721) For this criticism he was summoned before the Provincial Council, but was not fined or imprisoned, but warned not to publish in the future anything concerning the affairs of the government without permission of the governor or his secretary. A few years later he published a series of essays about provincial matters, a series started by Benjamin Franklin,but continued by other authors. For printing these contributions, especially the one on the tendency of power to perpetuate itself, he was again summoned before the council (Minutes of the Provincial Assembly, III 391) and later sent to prison. But he continued his newspaper without interruption. He was popular with the citizens and was later elected a councilman of the City. In supporting his case he set forth those principles that later enabled Andrew Hamilton in New York City, to free John Peer Zenger in the most famous cast for press freedom in colonial days.
Benjamin Franklin criticized the American Mercury for its poor typographical appearance, but Isaiah Thomas in "History of Printing:", 1810,II 326, asserts that the typography of the American Mercury was "equal to that of Franklin's Gazette. " Franklin and Bradford were not only competing publishers for many years in the newspaper field, but for a short time were competitors on the magazine field.
In Jan 17411, Bradford issued the first copy of the American Magazine. 3 days later Franklin followed with a rival, the General Magazine. Neither magazine lasted longer than 6 months.
Andrew adopted Wm Bradford II, son of his brother Wm and his adopted son became the famous "Patriot Printer of the Revolution.
Andrew held many official positions from both city and church. He was postmaster in Philadelphia during 1728-38, elected a vestryman of Christ's church in 1726 reelected for 11 years. He was weatlhy due to many successful real estate investments in Philadelphia.
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